Tape guide for rotary printing machine



Dec. 27, 1955 J. v. EDMAN 2,728,291

TAPE GUIDE FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Dec. 27, 1955 J. v. EDMAN TAPE GUIDE FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1954 ATTORNEY Unite 2,728;291 TAPE GUIDE FOR ROTARYPRINTINGMACHINE Application June 18, 1954, Serial No. 437,897 6 Claims.- (Cl. 101-232) This invention relates-to a-device-for guiding'stn'p material such as guni'rned' tape'th'rough a printing device of the type normally used to print'postageon mail matter, for example, a machine of the character disclosed in Patent 2,141,119.

In a postage printing machine the printing members normally include a printing cylinder and printing platen roller which cooperate to print on mail matter passed therebetween. Such mail matter includes letters which receive an impression directly thereon from the printing cylinder as each letter is fed in a timed relation thereto. Also, at the same printing location, gurnmed tape is adapted to be moved to a printing position betweenthe printing cylinder and platen roller and is automatically fed to a cutoff position, whereupon the printed and cut piece or stamp is moistened and applied to a package or oversize piece of 'mail.

lnthe device of the above-mentioned patent, tape guiding means was provided which was of flexible leaf spring construction and, while this structure has commercially served the purpose intended for guiding the leading end of the tape around the upper periphery of the platen roller when printing was to be effected on' tape, and has been sufficiently flexible to yield-when letters were moved thereacross, it was possible to bend or otherwise deform the structure after continuous operation. Under such conditions replacement of the tape guide was required to prevent misoperation of the machine.

In the device of this invention, means is provided to replace the delicate tape guide structure above-mentioned with a rigid tape guide unit and arranging said unit in such a manner that it will yield to the normal pressure of engagement of letters upon passing thereover during letter printing without deformation of the structure thereof in any manner.

It is a further object of the invention to mount the tape guide unit on a detachable portion of the letter feed and guide plate to thereby provide quick access to the tape feeding mechanism if a tape jam should occur while printing on tape.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth in the following description and drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 generally illustrates a partial front view of a postage meter and machine base with parts broken away and parts in section, also with a portion of the meter broken away, and showing a printing cylinder in an operative tape printing position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of aportion of Fig. 1, showing a letter printing operation;

Pig. 3 is a perspective view of the tape guide unit mounted Within a detachable plate portion and showing the detachable plate removed from its supporting structure; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view with parts broken away taken substantially along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a postage printing machine, generally shown in Fig. 1, includes a base portio'ri and a detachable meter 1-1. A printing cylinder States Patent 2,728,291 Patented Dec, 27, 1955' 12 is carried by the meter 11 and has-a printing -die -sur-- face 13 for the printing of postage indicia and"va1ue-impressions. A platen ro1ler14'ispositioned directly beneath-the printing cylinder-12 within the base porti0n-10 andis normally driven by a suitable power drive. Saidplaten roller is mounted within a yieldable structure in. such manner that it will'yield to accommodate varying thick nesses of pieces of mail passing between the printingcylinder and platen. v deck portion 15 over which letters are adapted to: be guided as they pass to'and fromthe printingelementsr- Said deck portion 15 isalso provided'with front-and endaprons 16 and a rear apron 16a. is shown passing between' the printing .cylinder '1-2andi platen roller 14 duringa printing cycle of operation with' the leading. end thereof about to move across the surfacee of deck 15.

in addition to the printing of postage impressionsupoira tape supply indicated at 17 and a tape guide 18. The tapesupply 17 comprises a roll of tape mountedupon asuitable. supporting shaft 19 within the base-10 The tape guide 13 is suitably supported as indicated at- 21 Said structure further includes tape feed rollers22 and- 23, the roller 22. being a driven-roller and roller 23 an idler roller. Suitable supporting shafts are provided as at'2'4fortherOlIerZZand-asat25fortheroller 23f Provision is also made for retracting the leading end of the tape by reversing the drive of the roller 22 after cutting is effected at the cutting position generallyihdi cated at 26. V v

The. foregoing elements are standard structure-impose age printing machines and can all be found in thedi's closure of'the above-mentioned patent.

Referring now to the elements which are directly related to the invention herein disclosed, means isprovided for guiding the leading end of the. tape after the tape passes from the bite of the feed rollers 22 and 23, to and over the platen roller 14, thence to the cutting position 26. Said means comprises a rigid tape guide element 27 having a centrally disposed arcuate formation, as at 28, with end portions. 29 and 31 deflected angularly' downward, and with the end 29 pivotallysupported on a shaft 32. The shaft -32 is supported within bearings 33-33, projecting downwardly from a plate 34. Said plate 34 is best shown in Fig. 3 and has anopening 35 therein through which the arcuate portion 28 of the guide element 27 projects. The plate 34: is also provided with projections 36-36 which extend" from the innerQ edge thereof, also a spring clamp member 37" projectingdownwardly from the lower surface of the front end thereof. The deck 15 is also provided with tion 38 and further has. openings 39-39 in apron Mu.

It will be observed from Fig. 3 that the plate, 3'4 is detachable and that attachment is effected by inserting the projecting portions Bid-36 thereof within the openings 3939 and engaging the spring clamping member- 37 over a shaft 41 associated with. a portion of the machine base structure. The detachability of this structure offers a convenient approach to the tape guide portions below the deck 15 for clearing tape jams if thesame should occur. This arangement permits an operator toperform a service operation which previously called; for trained servicemen to perform.

The rigid tape guide element 27 upturned and outwardly disposed the rearward further comprises an lip 42 at the. end

The yieldable structure-includes a In Fig. 2 aletter- I;

moistened to prepare-same a cutout potthereof, which lip is centrally positioned relative to the width of the guide element and is adapted to project within a notch 43 in the detachable plate 34. It will also be'observed that the said end 31 of the tape guide element'projects under the surface of the detachable plate 34 and, as will be later pointed out, will thus limit the elevated position of the tape guide element.

By means of a spring 44 positioned around the shaft 32, which has one end anchored as at 45 to a strip 46 forming part of the detachable plate 34, and the other end anchored to an adjustable collar 47 on the shaft 32, the end v31 of the tape guide element is adapted to be urged upwardly to the limit provided by the engagement of the said end portion 31 with the lower surface of the plate 34. The collar 47 is preferably provided with notches 43, one end of the spring 44 being engaged with one notch 48 and another notch being engaged with a portion of the tape guide 27 at the trailing end 29 thereof, as best seen in Fig. 3. Depressions 4949 are also provided within the end portion the lower surfaces of which provide point contact with the upper surface of the tape as it passes through a funnel portion 51 of the tape guide element 27.

The tape guide element 27 also has a central opening 52 therein which thus produces an open frame structure with side walls 53-53. As best seen in Fig. 5, the platen roller 14 is provided with grooves 54-54 which grooves are aligned with the side walls 53-53 of the tape guide. The grooves 54-54 are normally wider than the width of the walls 5353, so that the latter will move freely into the grooves 54-54 when printing is effected upon letters. The surface of the platen roller 14, between the grooves 5454 and which is encompassed by the frame portion of the tape guide element, is considered as the working surface of the platen roller.

Referring now to Fig. l, the tape is there shown as having passed through the funnel portion 51 and over the upper surface of the platen roller 14 while being fed during printing. The leading end of the tape is in a position wherein it is about to pass beyond the end 31 of the tape guide element 27 to the cutter 26. After the printed portion of the tape passes through the cutter, cutting thereof is effected in a well known manner.

When printing is effected upon letters, as in Fig. 2, the tape guide element 27 will yield when engaged by the letter, pivotal motion being effected about shaft 32, and the outer wall portions 5353 of the tape guide element will move within the grooves 5454 of the platen roller 14. Therefore, the tape guide will form no obstruction to the letter upon its passage across the deck surface 15 while printing.

It will thus be observed from the above description that a tape guide unit is provided which is rigid in every sense, such that it is indestructible and yet is yieldable by reason of its pivotal mounting to thus be permitted to be deflected from the path of letters passing through the machine during the printing cycle of operation. It will be further observed that the arrangement of mount ing the guide element 27 on the detachable plate 34 offers a very convenient means for an operator to clear tape jams if the same should occur.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

'1. The combination with a device wherein a printing operation is effected upon either letters or tape while passing between a rotary printing cylinder and a platen roller positioned below the printing cylinder of a rigid tape guide element comprising an arcuate open frame having the tape guide portion thereof in an operative tape guiding relation with the upper peripheral surface of the platen roller, a pivotal support for one end of the tape guide, and means to yieldingly urge the free end of the tape guide upwardly a predetermined limited distance to maintain said tape guide in an operative tape guiding position and to yield when the tape guide is engaged by letters passing between the printing cylinder and platen roller. i

2. The combination with a device wherein a printing operation is effected upon either letters or tape while passing between a rotary printing cylinder and a platen roller positioned below the printing cylinder of a rigid tape guide element having an arcuate open frame por tion thereof encompassing the upper peripheral work ing surface of the platen roller, a pivotal support for one end of the tape guide, and means to yieldingly urgethe free end of the tape guide upwardly a predetermined limited distance to maintain the lower arcuate surface thereof in a tape guiding position relative to the platen roller and to yield when the tape guide is engaged by letters passing between the printing cylinder and platen roller.

3. The combination with a device wherein a printing operation is effected upon either letters or tape while passing between a rotary printing cylinder and a platen roller positioned below the printing cylinder of a rigid tape guide element including an arcuate open frame portion thereof encompassing the upper peripheral working surface of the platen roller, a support including a shaft upon which one end of the tape guide is pivotally mounted, a coil spring on said shaft and connected with the tape guide to yieldingly urge the free end of the tape guide upwardly a predetermined limited distance to maintain the guiding surface thereof in a tape guiding position relative to the platen roller and to yield when the tape guide is engaged by letters passing between the printing cylinder and platen roller.

4. The combination with a device for printing on either letters or tape at the same printing point by means of a rotary printing cylinder and platen roller positioned therebelow and including a letter supporting and guiding member; of a plate detachably positioned within an opening in said member, said detachable plate having an opening therein through which the upper portion of the platen roller is adapted to project, means to guide tape over the platen roller including a rigid element having one end thereof pivotally suspended from the lower surface of said detachable plate, the free end of the tape guide extending beneath the end of the opening in the detachable plate, and means to yieldingly urge the free end of the tape guide element against the lower surface of the detachable plate to maintain the guiding surface thereof in a tape guiding position relative to the platen roller and to yield when the tape guide is engaged by letters passing between the printing cylinder and platen roller.

5. The combination with a device for printing on either letters or tape at the same printing point by means of a rotary printing cylinder and platen roller positioned therebelow and including a letter supporting and guiding member having an opening through the surface thereof; of a plate detachably positioned within the opening in said member, said detachable plate having an opening through the surface thereof through which the upper portion of the platen roller is adapted to project, means to guide tape over the projecting surface of the platen roller including a rigid element having an opening through which the platen roller also projects, one end of the rigid element being pivotally suspended from the lower surface of said detachable plate, the free end of the tape guide extending beneath the trailing end of the opening in the detachable plate, and means to yieldingly urge the free end of the tape guide element against the lower surface of the detachable plate to maintain the guiding surface thereof in a tape guiding position relative to the platen roller and to yield when the tape guide is engaged by letters passing between the printing cylinder and platen roller.

6. In a device for printing postage impressions upon letters or tape wherein the letters or tape are drawn.

between a printing cylinder and a platen roller positioned below the printing cylinder, and in combination with a horizontally disposed letter guide plate having an opening through which the upper periphery of the platen roller projects; the improvement which comprises a tape guide element having one end pivotally supported beneath said plate and including an arcuate open frame portion projecting upwardly through the plate opening and encompassing the upper peripheral working surface of the platen roller, means to yieldingly urge the free end of the tape guide element upwardly, means to limit the latter position of the tape guide to thereby main- 6 tain same in a tape guiding position relative to the platen roller, said tape guide being yieldable solely through movement about its pivot when the projecting portion thereof is engaged by a letter while printing is effected on letters.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

